The present invention relates generally to edible food coatings and more particularly is directed to a coating mix to be applied to poultry prior to baking in order to provide a roasted and basted poultry taste, texture and appearance.
Foods such as meat, fish, poultry and vegetables are conventionally coated (breading or batter) prior to cooking by pan frying, deep fat frying or baking. The intent of many of these coating and cooking procedures is to obtain a coating with the taste, texture and appearance associated with fried foods. One such procedure involves the initial coating of the food with a liquid batter followed by the application of a particulate farinacious material or breading to the batter coated surface. The coated food is then either fried or baked (see U.S. Pat. Nos. 3,723,137, 3,676,158, and 3,843,827). Alternatively, the food can be initially coated with a specially formulated dry mix followed by baking to impart a fat fried appearance, texture and taste to the baked food (see U.S. Pat. Nos. 3,852,501 and 3,586,512). While these procedures have been successful in imparting a fat fried appearance, texture and taste, there is still a need for a coating mix which when applied to poultry and than baked imparts the texture, taste and appearance of roasted and basted poultry.
When poultry is roasted and basted in a covered pan, the resulting poultry posseses a uniform and golden brown, crisp skin in which the meat is juicy and there is a flavor unique to roasted poultry. When poultry, especially poultry parts (e.g., chicken), is baked without a covered roasting pan and without basting the result is that the poultry is more dried out with a non-uniform, chewy and less crisp skin, and the flavor is bland with a substantial loss of the desireable roasted flavor and effect.
Thus, it is an object of this invention to provide a dry coating mix which when coated onto poultry and then baked imparts the resultant baked poultry with the taste, texture and appearance of roasted and basted poultry.